Refrigerator



Z SheetS-Sheet 1 G. MUFFLY REFRIGERATOR Filed Feb. 20, 1930 INVENTOR 6 7 e 71 77 My 7 f BY aux/(L A4040 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 29, 1931 v UNITED [STATES P-A'reNT GLENN MUFFLY, or nronmoNn, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR To 002mm) r'nonucrr's; 1

or'nnrnommronreamn conrom'rron or mcHIqA REFRIGERATOR Application filed February 20, 1930. Serial No. 429,868.

m tween said tray and said support.

The specific means employed to impart a preliminary upward movement to a tray or trays may include a lever, a, wedge, or a like element; and said element may be either auto 15 matically or manually manipulable,-'.-preferred embodiments of the invention beingv such as include handles additional to those. provided for the manipulation of the trays. These additional handles, or parts connected therewith, may be movable through suitable openings provlded in a so-called baflie plate, or in the respective front plates of the separate trays.

Other objects of the present invention, including the provision of means whereby a set of trays disposed one above another in a usual manner may be simultaneously or successively loosened from their supports by either manual or automatic means, may be tions of illustrative embodiments of the invention, taken in connection with the up pended claims and the accompanying draw m s:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a refrigerator equipped with an embodiment of the present invention,-a door being swung open in such manner as partially to exhibit the same and optional features being included.

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevational view (with parts broken away and optional features included) corresponding to an upper left hand portion of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken somewhat as suggested by the line 33 of Figure 2, but with parts omitted.

Figure 4 is a view corresponding to a central portion of Figure 2, but further enlarged and showing an alternative form.:

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view, taken best appreciated from the following descrips substantially as indicated by the line5-5 of Fi ure 4. t

i ure 6 is a vertical sectional view, com} para le to Figure 3, but taken substantially as indicated b the line 6+6 of Figure 7 and. showing anot er alternative form. f

. Figure 7 is a vertical sectional viewtakensubstantially as suggested by the line 7-7 ofFigurefi. V

Figures 8 and 9 are respectivelyv a partial elevationaland a vertical sectional view com-. parable with Figures 4 and 5, but showing another modified form. p v N Referring first to the more general features of the invention, as shown in thatembodiment thereof which has been selected for illustration in Figures 1-13, inclusive, Figure 1 shows a refrigerator 10 0f moderntype, ase

any usual machinery being'enclosed in a portion 11, and a foodcompartment anda tray compartmentbeing res ectively provided with doors 12 and 13 lidableftrays, provided with front plates 14 bearing handles 15 may be of a usual or a slightly specialized design, as hereinafter described; and, to overcome the, annoying tendency of said trays to stick, after they have been left undisturbed for a period sufficient to permit them to freeze down, the present invention proposesto employ cam means such as wedges or levers 16, extending below co-operating cam surfaces provided by or on the tra s, said levers or wedges being manipulable by handles 17, for separating said trays from their supports. I I

Before completing a detailed description of that form of the invention shown in-Fig: ures 2 and 3 (which includesoptional features and complications unnecessary to an understanding of the principles relied upon) attention may advantageously be directed to a simpler embodiment, such as that shown in Figures 4 and 5. In these latter figures, a lever 16a is shown as providedwith ,a handle 17a and as pivoted at 1811 upon a fixed ele; ment in the form of a bracket 1911. This bracket may be an angle carried by a tank or other container 20a for a heat-transfer liquid,-which may be ordinary brine; and a tray 21a, shownas connected witha front plate 14a carrying a handle 15a by an integral extension 2211, may rest upon rounded beads 23a, shown as provided in a wall of the tank m An inwardly extending arm 24a of the lever 16a may be provided with a cam surface 25a, shown as disposed beneath a cam surface on the tray 21a by the described construction; and the handle 17a may project through a slot 26aprovided in aso-called baifie plate 27a,-engageable by the respective front plates 14a of the series of trays.

In the embodiments shown in Figures 6 and 7, although an upward cam pressure may be applied substantiallycentrally of each tray and near the front thereof, instead of p'oviding a substantially central opening neath each tray and through which an individual lever extends (as at 26a in the form shown in Fi ures 4 and 5) it is suggested that, to permit of the successive loosening of a series of trays 21b, 21b, 21?)", disposed one above another, means including a master lever 28?) may be employed. In this form, integral extensions 2%, 22b, 22?)" are shown as provided with downwardly and inwardly projecting cam surface elements 29?), 29b, 29b"; and the latter are shown as respectively engaged by co-operating cam surfaces 25b, 25b, 25b, provided upon transversely extending levers 16b, 16b, 16b". These levers are shown as respectively pivoted at 18b, 18b and 18b", in such manner as to permit sequential manipulation thereof upon a depression of the mentioned master lever 286,-- shown as also extending transversely and as pivoted at 31b. In order to transmit motion from said master'lever to the respective levers 16b, 16b and'lGb", use may be made of means such as a slidable element 32?), which may be retained by means such as clips 33?) and may be provided not only with series of pins 34?), 34b, 34?)", adapted successively to engage the respective tray-lifting levers 16b, 16b, 16?)", but also with a cam head 35?), disposed suitably for engagement by a co-operating cam surface 36?; upon an arm 37?) of the lever 28b.

It will be obvious that although the respective tray-lifting levers might be provided with forward extensions to serve as handles for the separate manipulation thereof, the

described construction is favorable to the use of the single master lever 28?), or its equivalent, for the manipulation of any desired number of trays,as by means of a single pry-effecting handle 38?) extending through a suitable slot in baffle plate 276, or its equivalent, and suitable for engagement either by a part (not shown) on door 13 or by a hand; and the spacing of the pins 34?), 34b, 34b, in the indicated manner is intended to obviate such exertion as would be required simultaneously to separate a plurality of trays from their supports. In case the master lever 28b is unprovided with a spring, retraction may be effected by gravitymeans and/or by means such as separate tension springs 39b, 39b, 39b",comparable in function with a compression spring as suggested at 39a in Figure 5. v

In the simple form shown in Figures 8 and 9, a cam in the form of a wedge 240 is shown as extending beneath a cam surface 290, directly provided by a tray 21c and manipulable by a handle 17c,accessible in front of a baffie 270 and/or a front plate 140. This pryefi'ecting handle may be connected with a square or other non-circular portion 400 extending through an opening of corresponding outline in a guide 410. The cam wedge 240 and other slidable parts may be normally held retracted by means such as a spring 39c,shown as extending between the guide 410 and a pin 41c upon rod 160.

Returnin now to Figures 2 and 3, these figures incidentally show one of many means for an automatic separation of trays incidentally to the opening of a door 13 beyond a predetermined limit; but these figures also suggest the use of comparatively powerful prying members in the form of first class levers 16, 16, 16". These are shown as pivoted at 18, 18' and 18" and their respective pivot pins may extend through brackets or bosses 43, 43', 43", comparable with brackets 43a of that embodiment which is shown in Figure 5 and with brackets 430; 430', 430" of the form shown in Figures 6 and 7.

Numerals being similarly employed as reference characters, but with distinguishing letters, in the descriptions of the various illustrated embodiments of the present invention, it will be seen that handles 17, 17 17 provided on or by the mentioned levers, may extend forwardly, in the form shown in Figures 2 and 3, through arcuate slots or other openings 26, 26, 26", to rovide means, accessible in front of bafiie 2 for a convenient separate manipulation of said levers- The movement of these levers may, if desired, be limited by means such as clips 44, 44, 44 (comparable with clips 44b, 44b, 44b of that form which is shown in Figures 6 and 7 and said handles may be yieldably held in their upper positions by means such as separate springs 39, 39', 39",said clips and springs being secured to brine tank 20 by means such as screws 45 and brackets 46. The

brine tank may be secured, in any of the illustrated forms, by means such as upwardly extending straps 47, 47 and laterally extending straps 48; and the so-called bame plate 27 may be supported from said tank by means such as screws or bolts 50, shown as carrying spacers 51, extending'through brackets Although the constructions shown in other figures are economical and effective, a diminution in thermal conductivity from pans 21, 21', 21 may be effected if desired, by spacing the plates 14, 14', 14." from downwardly deflected portions 53, 53, 53", of forward extensions 54, 54', 54,-shown as integral with said pans. For example, use may be made of additional spacers such as that shown at 55" as surrounding a screw or bolt 56; and this construction is favorable to the support of forwardly extending cam elements 29, 29, 29 by means including integral fiat parts 57, 57, 57 integral therewith and se-- cured to the downwardly deflected portion 53, 53, 53" of the respective pans.

The leverage provided by the construction last described may be sufiiciently powerful to assure especially easy operation; and it will be evident that this construction also admits of an advantageous use of means, such as a slidable rod or other element 32 carrying spaced pins 34, 34', 34;", for releasing all pans by one movement,the features here referred to being either additional to or alternative to the separate use of pry-effecting handles 17, 17 17 For example, the rod 32, if employed, may be provided with either or both a handle 38, for its manual manipulation, and a lever 58 for its automatic manipulation. This last-named lever is somewhat diagrammatically shown as pivoted at 59 upon a bent bracket 60 and as so connected with a cord or chain, extending to an eyelet 62 upon the door 13, that the opening of said door beyond apredetermined limit tends to depress rod 32 and thereby successively to loosen 21, 21', 21".

It will be seen that all illustrated forms of this invention include a pry-effecting cam member which is largely or entirely concealed by a so-called baflie plate and is so movable beneath a cam surface provided by or connected with a pan as easily to separate the same from a cooling and/or supporting surface therebelow. The advance of the movable cam may ordinarily be effected by means of a lever so shaped and positioned as normally to remain out of the path of the tray: and the lever may generally be so formed and Divoted'below the bottom of the tray that the latter can be freely withdrawn and inserted thereover. the tray itself being unencumbered with any lift-applying or prying cam device including movable parts. Although the use of a cam in the form of a wedge has been suggested, the prying device may more generally include a lever or levers,one arm of each lever being optionally engageable by pins upon a sliding rod and /or provided with a handle accessiblv disposed in front of aba-fiie plate and distinct from any tray-withdrawing handle. The cam engageable surface of each tray may generally be at or near the level of the entire bottom thereof; but it will be understood not only that various features of the present invention might be independently employed but also that numerous modifications, additional to any suggested herein,

engagement with said cam surface,-said refrigerator including a baflie provided with an opening through which said tray is removable, and said device beingnprovided with manipulating means including a part accesa i so '2. In loosening means .for refrigerator sible in front of said bafiie'. V

trays, each tray being provi ed with a downwardly disposed cam surface; a lift-apply ing device including a-cam member disposed for engagement with said cam surface,-said refrigerator being provided with a door; and

said device being provided with means auto mati-cally manipulating the same upon the ppening of said door beyond a predetermined imit.

3. In a loosening means for refrigerator trays, each tray being provided with a surface disposed favorably for engagement by a cam, levers disposed out of the path of withdrawal movement of the trays and including cams which are engageable with said surfaces for securing a prying effect, and a common means for operating all of the levers.

4. In a loosening means for refrigerator trays, each tray being provided with a surface disposed favorably for engagement by a cam, levers disposed out of the path of withdrawal movement of the trays, and including cams which are engageable with said surface for securing a-prying effect, and a single means for operating the levers in sequential order.

5. A loosening means for refrigerator trays, each tray being provided with a surface disposed favorably for engagement by a cam, levers disposed out of the path of withdrawal movement of the trays and including cams which are engageable with said surfaces for securing a prying effect, and means including a slidable rod for operating all of the levers.

6. In a loosening means for refrigerator trays, each tray being provided with a surface disposed favorably for engagement by a cam, levers disposed out of the path of withdrawal movement of the tray and including cams which are engageable with said surfaces for securing a prying effect, and means including a slidable rod for operating the levers in se uential order.

7. In a re rigerator having a door and ice trays, each tray being provided with a surface disposed favorably for engagement by a cam, levers disposed out of the path of withdrawal movement of the trays and including trays, each tray being provided-with a down wardly disposed cam surface: a lift-appl ing device including a cam member dispose for.'

cams which are engageable with the surfaces for securing a prying effect, and means operatively connected to the door of the refrigerator for operating the levers upon opening the door beyond a predetermined limit.

8. A loosening means for refrigerator trays, each tray being provided with a surface disposed favorably for engagement by a cam, levers disposed out of the path of withdrawal of movement of the trays including cams which are engageable with said surfaces for securing a prying effect, and resilient means for retracting the levers.

9. In a loosenin means for refrigerator trays, each tray being provided with a surfacedisposed favorably for engagement by a lifting means, and a common means for lifting the trays in sequential order.

GLENN MUFFLY. 

